Pincer mechanism for lasting-machines.



T. H. SEELY.

PINCER MECHANISM FOR LASTING MACHINES:

APPLICATION FILED JA3?.20,1909.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

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T. H. SEELY. FINGER MECHANISM FOR LASTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION TILED JAILZO, 1909.

2 SHEETS-BEBE: 2.

Patenteci May 17, 1910.

ANDREW a GRAHAM c0. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPNEHS WAShINGYDh UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. SEELY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T THOMAS G. PLANT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FINGER MECHANISM FOR LASTING-MAGHINES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. SEELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pincer Mechanism for LastingMachines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like figures on the drawings representing like parts.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to lasting machines for boots and shoes and more particularly to the pincer or gripper mechanism for seizing the upper and lining portion of the shoe and drawing it over the last into position for attachment to the insole.

The aims and objects of the present invention will be best made clear from the following description and accompanying drawings of one form or embodiment of means for carrying the invention into practical effect, the true scope of the invention being definitely pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation suflicient portion of a lasting machine having the present invention associated therewith to indicate the general connection and relation of parts; Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 on the line 22; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pincer or gripper aws in open position; Fig. at is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the jaws closed upon the work; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a partial side and sectional elevation showing the means for operating the lower jaw carrier and the yielding mount of the upper jaw.

In the form or embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, the lasting pincers depend from an overhead up-draw lever fulcrumed upon the machine frame and suitably actuated to cause said lever to have an up and down movement, thereby to lift the upper. After the upper has been thus lifted the pincers are given a forward or overdraw movement to lay the materials onto the insole upon which they are to be secured, and means are provided to cause the upper to be slit or out all in a manner to be now explained.

Referring to Fig. 1, the main shaft 1 suit ably mounted in a supporting framework, the cam 2 thereon, the roll 3 co-acting with said cam and carried by the link l, the arm Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 20, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910. Serial No. 473,214..

5 pivotally mounted at 6, connected to the link l at 7, and the spring 8 normally tending to hold the roll 3 against the cam 2, the lever 9 fulcruined at 11 and connected to the link at at 10, the rod 12 connected to the lever 9 at 18, the co-acting stops 14 and 15, the actuator 16 connected to the pincer carrier 17 at 18 and fulcrumed at 19 upon the yoke 20 and having the upwardly extended arm 21 connected to the rod 12 at 22 and their general mode of operation, whereby the pincers are given the overdraw movement under spring tension, are or may be all as pointed out in my prior Patent No. 9%,291, dated January 4, 1910, with the exception that the rod 12, as shown in Fig. 1, is ad justably connected to the arm 21, adjustment being eifected by the hand piece 23 through the screw thread connection 24 with the arm 21, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Extending through the upper portion or head 25 of the pincer carrier 17 is the liftrod 26, the lower edge of which has a guide 27 movable in a socket 28 in the carrier. Said rod is surrounded by a spring 29 the lower end of which is seated 011 the collar 30 carried by the rod and the upper end of which rests against a washer 31, Fig. 6, bearing against the underside of the head 25. Surrounding the rod 26 and disposed within the head 25 of the carrier is a lift sleeve 32, the upper end of which bears on the under side of a collar held from rotation by a pin 31 and splined to the lift rod 26 at The upper end of the liftrod 26 is screwlhreaded and provided with an adjusting nut 36, whereby the tension of the lift sprin 29 may be regulated.

The sleeve 32 has a side projection, Fig. 6, through which passes a pin 37 connecting said sleeve to the up-draw lever 38, whereby upon upward movement of the up-draw lever 38, the sleeve 32, rod 26, and, perforce, the pincer carrier 17 will be raised, movement of the latter being due to the lifting action of the parts t'ansmitted through the spring 29.

It is sometimes desirable to give an extra spring lifting action to the pincer carrier or, in other words, to increase the action of the spring beyond that secured by the updraw lever, and to this end there is disposed below the collar 33 a lift block 39, Figs. 2 and 6, provided with trunnions which are received by the enlarged slots 11 in lifting levers 12 pivotally mounted on the pin 37 .and connected at 13 to extra lift levers M which may be actuated in any suitable manner, the construction being such that after the updraw lever 38 has raised the pincer aws and the stock held by them in a manner to be more fully explained and has transmitted its pulling effect through the spring 29, the extra lift lever 14: may be operated to give an extra upward pull on the rod 26, thereby increasing the action of the spring upon the pincer carrier.

The means hereinbefore described give to the pincer jaws their updraw movement after the jaws have been closed upon the work, and to effect this closing movement of the jaws the carrier 17 has an upwardly projecting portion 15, Fig. 1, to which is pivotally connected at 46 the bell crank lever 17, one arm of which is jointed to the jaw actuating rod 18 at 19, and the other arm to a rod 50 to which movement in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, is given by suitable actuating devices to cause the jaws to close upon the work. Application of force to the bell crank 47 by the rod 50, as stated, tends to move the upper end of the carrier 17 to the left in Fig. l and, in the absence of counter-acting means, cause the carrier to bind upon its lifting sleeve. To overcome this tendency and enable the carrier to respond to the spring lifting force during the overdraw movement, the head 25 of the carrier has an upwardly extended portion 51, the inner face of which rests against the curved surfaces 52 of thrust blocks 53, the opposite end portions of said blocks partially embracing and resting against the lift pin 37, it being understood, however, that a washer or sleeve 54 may preferably surround the lift pin 37, Fig. 2.

The blocks 53 have curved slots 55 through which the pins 10 extend, so that the thrust blocks do not interfere with the proper lifting of the pincer carriers by the extra liftlever 44.

From the above construction it will be apparent that the thrust blocks act as rolling surfaces to permit the pincer carrier to move properly and without binding in response to its actuating means even though the jaws of the pincers be closed with considerable force.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3, a and 5, the pincer jaws comprise two members suitably connected together, to the end that one may have a bodily movement toward and from the other in the closing and opening of the jaws, a suitable actuator being disposed intermediate the jaws, whereby acceleration of the opening and closing movements and a firm grip of the jaws may be secured.

One of the jaws, which for identification may be referred to as the lower jaw 56, is mounted on the pincer carrier 17 and is provided with a gripping face 57. The lower jaw 56 is bifurcated above the gripping face 57, Fig. 5, and its opposite walls are provided with slots 58, 59, the general direction of which defines the path of bodily movements of the upper jaw, as will presently appear. The side walls of the lower jaw 56 are also provided with slots 60, 61 difiering somewhat from the directional character of the slots 58 and 59, and said slots determine the directional movement of the actuator for the lower jaw, as will appear hereinafter.

In the bifurcation of the lower jaw member or between its side walls are disposed the upper aw 62 and the upper jaw actuator or accelerator 63, the latter being connected at its upper portion at 64 to the actuating rod 18, and preferably disposed in a bifurcated portion of the upper jaw above its gripping face, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Secured to the actuator 63 are the pins 65, 66, preferably carrying suitable rolls and traveling in the slots 60, 61 respectively of the lower aw. Said actuator 63 is likewise provided with the slots 67 and 68 arranged at an angle to the slots 58 and 59 formed in the lower jaw member. Passing through the upper portion of the upper jaw member 62 and engaging the slot 67 in the actuator 63 and also the slot 58 in the lower jaw member is the pin 69 preferably carrying a roll or rolls 70. Similarly the'upper jaw carries a pin 71 near its lower portion which passes into and engages the slots 68 and 59 in the actuator and lower jaw respectively, said pin 71 preferably carrying anti-friction rolls 72.

From the construction described, it will be noted that upon downward movement of the actuating rod 48, the actuator 63 will be moved downward relatively to the lower jaw, the pins 65 and 66 moving down in their slots 60 and 61 respectively. Simultaneously, the pins 69 and will move downward in the slots 58 and 59, respectively,

thereby carrying the lower jaw bodily downward in a straight or substantially straight path. Since the pins 69 and 71 or their rolls are engaged by the slots 67 and 68, respectively, in the actuator arranged at an angle to the upper part of the slots 58 and 59 of the lower aw, it follows that the upper jaw member carrying the said pins 69 and 71 will be moved downward at an accelerated speed due to the angular relation of the slots 67 and 68 with respect to the upper portion of the slots 58 and 59 in the lower jaw member, such movement of the upper aw being a bodily advance of the entire upper jaw member. When the pins 65 and 66, and the pins 69 and 71 have reached the angular bend in their respective slots by movement in the manner stated, the relative inclination ofithe slots 58, 59, and 67, 68 change as does the direction of the lower part of the slots-60 and 61 which define the'direction of movement of the actuator, with the result that .the rapidity of closing movement of the upper jaw becomes less with a corresponding increase of power or wedging ac tion causing the upper jaw to firmly grip the material between itself and the lower jaw. It will be noted that the movement of the upper jaw member is a bodily movement which, during apart of its closing action,is accelerated:toquickly bring the grip ping faces of the jaw members toward the stock between them, and that the final closing action is a relatively slower movement but with increase of power due to the changing in relative directions of the slots in the lower and actuator, the relative direction of movement of the two jaws being in substantially a straight line.

Obviously, the pins which engage the slots in the lower jaw and actuator may be provided with anti-friction rolls or other anti friction devices, but this is not essential. It will beobvious, also, to those skilled in the art that upon upward movement of the actuating rod e8 the jaws will gradually and slowly release the material and then quickly separate.

It is desirable that the upper and lining be notched or slitted between the portion thereof engaged by the jaws and that portion already tacked or secured to the insole, and the present invention in addition to the matters hereinbefore set forth provides means whereby as the pincer jaws grasp the stock, a cutter or slit-ting knife will pierce the upper and lining adjacent one side of the jaws and when the jaws start to release the upper and lining and are moved inward of theshoe by reason ofthe spring actuating means which cause the overdraw movement, as hereinbefore described, the jaws will pull away from the upper and lining dragging the knife through the materials before said jaws have become entirely separated.

As one means of securing the above results, there is mounted upon the pin 71, Figs. 3 and 4, a knife carrier 73 having at its end portion a knife or slitter '74 projecting toward the lower jaw; in other words, the knife carrier 73 is pivotally supported by one jaw member and movable therewith. EX- tending upwardly from the pivotal support of the knife carrier '73 is an arm 75 having a cam slot 76 which is engaged by a pin 7'? projecting from the side wall of the fixed jaw 56, the construction being such that when the jaw members are separated, in-

dicated in Fig. 3, the pin 77 will occupy the lower portion of-the slot 76, as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby raising the knife carrier 73 and maintaining the knife or slitter 74: in position not to obstruct the free entrance of the upper and lining between the gripping faces of the upper and lower aw members. \Vhen, however, the upper jaw is moved bodily downward, as hereinbefore pointed out, the slotted arm will move downward relative to the pin 77 and cause the knife carrier 73 .to swing upon its pivotal support 71, thereby causii'ig the knife or slitter T l to penetrate the upper and lining, as indicated in Fig. i, as the gripping faces of the jaws come together. in order that the knife or slitter 7st may act upon the stock while the latter is properly supported for the penetration of said knife or slitter, the lower jaw is provided with a projection 78 at its side upon which the upper and lining of the shoe may rest and be supported as the slitter or knife 74: engages therewith.

Assuming that the two jaws have been moved, as hereinbefore described, from the position indicated by Fig. 3 to that indicated by Fig. 4, wherein they grip between themselves the upper and lining, and wherein the knife or slitter 7% has penetrated the work, and that the said jaws while gripping the stock, as indicated in Fig. a, have been given their overdraw movement and are ready to release the stock, it will be apparent that the first upward movement of the actuating rod 48 will give a slight separation to the jaws without, however, withdrawing the knife or slitter 7 1 from the stock by reason of the straight portion '79 at the upper endof the slot 76 in the arm 75, and that at this time, owing to the action of the spring 8, which normally tends to move the jaws inward. over the shoe sole, said jaws will respondto this inward moving tei'idency of the spring 8 and carry with them the knife or slitter 74:, thus slitting or cutting the upper and lining toward and through the edge thereof, said jaws then opening into the position indicated in Fig. 3 ready for the next operation.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two aws movable relative to each other to grip and release the work, means for yieldingly lifting said jaws while they grip the work, a lifting lever for transmitting extra movement to said means, and an extra lift lever for giving an additional updraw lifting action to the lifting lever and ,aid jaws.

2. In a pincer mechanism for lasing machines, the combination of two jaws movable relative to each other to grip and release the work, means for yieldingly lifting said jaws while they grip the work, and auxiliary means operating at the conclusion of the updraw movement to increase the lifting tension of the said yielding means, said auxiliary means including a lifting lever.

3. In a. pincer mechanism for lasting ma chines, the combination of two jaws movable relatively to grip and release the work, an updraw lever, yielding connections between the updraw lever and said jaws, and an extra lift lever and connected block for giving an additional updraw lift-ing action to the said yielding connections.

4. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws movable relative to each other to grip and release the work, a jaw carrier, means for raising the jaw carrier to give an updraw movement to the jaws, means for closing and opening the jaws, and means to take up thrust of the jaw carrier due to jaw closing movement to prevent the jaw carrier binding upon adjacent parts under the action of the jaw closing movement.

5. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws, a jaw carrier, an updraw lever connected to said jaw carrier, means connected to the jaw carrier for closing said jaws, and rolling surfaces interposed between the jaw carrier and updraw lever connection therewith to prevent binding of the jaw carrier under the action of the jaw closing movement.

6. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws, a jaw carrier, an updraw lever, yielding connections between the updraw lever and jaw carrier, means connected to the jaw carrier for closing the jaws, a thrust block interposed between the jaw carrier and updraw lever to support the jaw carrier against side movement under the closing action of the jaws.

7. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws, a jaw carrier, an updraw lever, a lifting block to which said updraw lever is pivoted, yielding connections between the lifting block and jaw carrier, jaw closing means connected to said aw carrier, and a thrust block interposed between the aw carrier and pivotal connection of the updraw lever and said lifting block.

8. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of pincer jaws, means for sliding one of said jaws relative to the other in closing and opening said jaws, and means for accelerating the relative movement of said aws to cause them to initially close toward the stock between them and then to give a final gripping action to the aws.

9. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of pincer jaws, means for sliding one of said jaws bodily with relation to the other jaw, means to accelerate the initial closing movement of the jaws and to thereafter impart to the jaws a slower and more powerful closing action.

10. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws, an actuator for moving one of said jaws bodily with respect to the other, and connections between the actuator and said jaws to cause one of said jaws to move bodily in a straight path to position the jaws opposite each other and to thereafter move said jaw in a straight path at an angle to the first path to close the jaws with a gripping action upon the stock.

11. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws, an actuator, slot and pin connections between the jaws and actuator to cause one of said jaws to move bodily in a straight path to position opposite the other jaw and thereafter to move bodily in a straight path at an angle to the first into gripping relation with the other jaw.

12. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of a lower pincer jaw and an upper pincer jaw, an actuator for one of said jaws, slot and pin connections between the actuator and said jaws for causing one of said jaws to move bodily in a straight path into position opposite the other jaw and then to move bodily in a straight path into gripping relation with said other jaw.

13. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of a lower jaw member, an upper jaw member, angular slot and pin connections between said jaw members, and means for moving one of said jaw members relative to the other jaw member to cause the angular slot and pin connection between the jaw members to direct the movable jaw member in straight paths at an angle to each other.

14. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of two jaws, means for relatively moving said jaws to open and close them, a slitting knife connected to one jaw, means for causing the knife to penetrate the stock back of the edge as the jaws are closed, and means for pulling the knife toward the edge of the stock to slit the same to the edge as the jaws release the stock.

15. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of pincer jaws, means to open and close said jaws, a knife carrier connected to one of said jaws and having a slitting knife, means for causing the slitting knife to penetrate the stock at a point remote from the edge as the pincer jaws are closed upon the material, and means to move the knife toward the edge of the stock to slit the same through the edge as the jaws release the material.

16. In a pincer mechanism for lasting machines, the combination of pincer jaws, means to open and close said jaws, a knife carrier pivotally mounted on one jaw and having a pointed slitting knife, means on the other jaw to cause the pointed slitting are closed, said yielding means acting to move the knife toward the edge of the upper l and lining to slit the same as the aws release the stock at the conclusion of the overdraw movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 20 two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS H. SEELY.

Vi itnesses LILLIAN M. IVALDEN, JEROME INGALLS. 

